It has been a great two months for me as your new Worship Pastor. I became very excited when I found out that I get to write an article every month for our newsletter. I hope to use it as an opportunity to explain some of my worship philosophy and my rational behind the worship I plan I was thinking about what the vision for the music ministry of Memorial Baptist Church should look like and I was reminded of this great analogy. I recently read a book where the author compared worship to home cooking as opposed to fast food or fancy French food. There are many reasons for this analogy. First, good worship like home cooking takes time and hard work. It’s not like fancy French food or fast food where you just stop in and someone makes it for you. In other words, worship is not a once a week stop that’s catered to you. Also, it is not meant to be in and out quickness. Instead, it is an extension of your whole life and it takes the effort of every church member to make it all it can be.

Second, home cooking makes the best of what you have on hand. With planning and skill you take what you have in your pantry to make something that is distinctly your own. In the same way, worship should use the people we have and the background we come from. We don’t need to spend exorbitant amounts of money or use fancy and exotic ingredients in our worship. We need to be true to who we are in Christ. Finally, home cooking is authentic. It’s about who we are, and where we came from. Our worship should represent our traditions while still being willing to embrace some change as we move towards where we are headed in our community. We will continue to sing our favorite heart songs but, we will also utilize the best of the new as we grow and attract new people from the neighborhoods that surround us.

God made us all unique and special, with talents gifts and tastes that are all our own. We will take our unique gifts and use them in worship not to focus on ourselves, but to worship focused on God in the unique way that only we as Memorial can.

Blessings to you this month,
Rick